The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a grant of $1.5 million over three
years to the Delaware Valley Industrial Resources Center (DVIRC) and the New Jersey
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NJMEP) to encourage expanded manufacturing of energy-efficient building
technologies.
The grant complements a larger U.S. Department of Energy project announced August 24,
that provides up to $122 million to the Pennsylvania State University for an Energy
Innovation Hub. To be located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard Clean Energy campus, the
Hub will focus on developing energy-efficient building designs that will save energy, cut
pollution, and position the United States as a leader in this industry.
According to NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), this project represents the first time that federal, state, and local public
and private resources will be pooled to create a formal applied research/manufacturing
cluster that spans from the lab bench, through production to implementation.
“Expanding the capabilities of U.S. manufacturers to respond to the market opportunities
resulting from the development of new energy efficient building technologies is key to
ensuring the linkage between R&D and commercial application,” said Roger Kilmer, director
of NIST MEP.
DVIRC and NJ MEPs role will be to connect manufacturers, specifically small and mid-size
enterprises (SMEs) to the project at all levels, including R&D, design and testing of new
products, materials, technologies, and systems, and, more importantly, commercializing
those opportunities for business growth and job creation.
The Energy Innovation Hub will pursue a research, development and demonstration
(RD&D) program targeting technologies for single buildings and district-wide systems.
These new building systems and components will need to be manufactured, presenting a
unique opportunity for businesses in the area to get in on the ground floor.
The DVIRC in collaboration with its sister-center, the NJMEP, will leverage their knowledge
of and relationships with region companies to identify technologies such as sensors, new
building materials, and computer simulation tools developed by the Energy Innovation Hub,
and translate them into components they can license, develop and manufacture.
“Our region is home to a significant asset and essential resource to innovate new products
and technologies,” says Joe Houldin, CEO of DVIRC. “SME manufacturers are true
innovators and contribute substantial value to the region’s economic prosperity, and will play
a vital role in taking energy research and applied technology to market.”
“We hope that this effort will be a model for public-private collaborative partnerships
across the nation,” said Aimee Dobrzeniecki, deputy director of NIST MEP.
Loading...